Audio Asylum Thread Printer

Get a view of an entire thread on one page

FAQ / News / Events

Films/DVD Asylum

Well, let me tell you about Mexican Bunuel

204.183.93.128

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Thread: Display Email Next ] [ Films/DVD Asylum ] [ FAQ ]

Victor Khomenko

If The Crime of Father Amaro is any indication, the Mexican cinema is still in its development.
Carlos Carrera is most definitely not Bunuel... not even the young Bunuel. He is most certainly not without talent - and some of his work in that film is quite good. He is considered one of the best Mexican directors, and I will have to take that word here, as I am almost completely unfamiliar with the Mexican movies.
Amazingly, the film is very well done technically - there is professionalism everywhere.
The most conreversial film ever made? I don't think so. Worth viewing? Well, cautious "perhaps". Some interesting characters, memorable faces and good acting make it altogether a good experience - better in fact that the great majority of the Hollywood trash. It doesn't have that disgusting layer of your typical American glossy paint job - it is too matter-of-factly for that, and this is perhaps its strongest point.
No silly emotions, no Tom Cruise-esque idiotic outbursts - mostly your normal humans behaving like normal humans in difficult situations.

Follow Ups:

Re: Well, let me tell you about Mexican Bunuel - Ruben 15:00:06 06/26/03 (0)
yes, if he sinned and then repent that would be so to the liking of the church....... however by not repenting and keep sinning he'll burn in hell. The abortion issue is particularly hot in Mexico nowdays. The fact that a priest is involved in such a thing is probably what piss the church the most. A lot of people in the new govertment and big chunck of sociaty want to legalize abortion.
At least padre Amaro was having sex with a woman. That is nothing compare with the abuse of minors. I am sure that happens in mexico more than the USA.
Ruben
San Francisco, California
if you were Mexican............ - Ruben 08:08:40 06/26/03 (3)
you'll understand that two intitutions are hard to touch in Mexican sociaty. The church is one of them. Padre Amaro deals with two hard situations for the church, priest having sex and abortion. A lot of preassure was put in the distributors to not to release the movie. The movie is well done for any standards, but if you measure by the quality of most Mexican movies it is a masterpiece. Together with "Y Tu Mama Tambien" and "Amores Perros" show the potential of the Mexican cinema.
There is another movie "Rojo Amanecer" about the other subject, hard to touch in Mexico. That is the killing of students during a demonstration in 1968. That movie does not have the quality of Padre Amaro. But worth to see just for the handling of the killing
Ruben
San Francisco, California
- Another Mexican director... - clarkjohnsen 14:48:33 06/26/03 (0)
  ...Nicol�s Echevarr�a, made a fave film of mine, Cabeza de Vaca. For Mexican TV, yet! I quote an Amazon reviewer:
  "Cabeza de Vaca, Spanish nobleman looking for riches and adventure, ends up with much more adventure than he planned for. A journey for gold turns into a harrowing spiritual journey, a twisting torture of his soul and beliefs.
  "Face to face with barbarians, de Vaca must face his own nature and ultimately the barbaric nature of the Spanish Conquest.
  "A beautifully shot movie - the melange of tribal cultures that de Vaca encountered on his wanderings is well portrayed, and as de Vaca goes from slave to shaman to the next meal back to holy man, etc., this viewer was caught up in de Vaca's spiritual journey - how survival and spirituality spring from the same place for many of us.
  "Juan Diego masterfully portrays de Vaca's spiritual trials and tribulations - a man adapting to what he had to adapt to to survive, almost losing himself in the process, reborn almost unrecognizable to himself.
  "This movie reminds us that culture clashes are really clashes of souls, an always-timely message."
  The DVD is only $10.
  clark
- That the church is difficult subject is clear, we all know that - Victor Khomenko 08:27:01 06/26/03 (1)
  I understand the sensitivity there.
  However, I believe what made that story/film perhaps even more objectionable is not that the Parde sins, but that he apparently sins with no remorse.
  In fact, he starts making deals with his soul right away upon his arrival - first when he sees his superior having an affair, and then when not having any scruples about blackmailing the newspaper editor.
  Throught the picture, he presents a rather disturbing character - a charismatic fellow on one side, and a cynical and self-absorbed bastard on the other. The bad side in him is dominant, with the good one only making brief appearances... unfortunately.
  I suspect if the movie presented him as someone who sinned in the moment ow weakness, but then took the responsibiity that would not be so objectionable to some viewers, but his constant stream of cynical betrails is indeed revolting.
  In some sense this could be called Mexican Crimes and Misdemeanors, as the basic motif is similar.
  The film is disturbing from more than just the church perseption perspective.
  - I don't understand your use of "objectionable" - tinear 05:52:45 06/28/03 (0)
    and "disturbing." How is the film so?
    Are these necessarily negative? It is quite obvious from many scandals in the American church that sociopathy may be clothed in the robe. I haven't seen the movie (I must wait for the video) but I am optimistic for the Mexican film industry.
    The "New Wave" of Mexican film seems to have started with R. Rodriguez's excellent (but very cheaply made) "El Mariachi." From there, of course, he became the worst of Hollywood street corner pimps.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

You can not post to an archived thread.